Wednesday, 14 December 2016

The Most Powerful Exercise to Purify and Rejuvenate the Body and Mind

The Most Powerful Exercise to Purify and Rejuvenate the
Body and Mind

by Shems Heartwell

The way
you breathe is the way you live. Breathing is absolutely essential to life, but it's
often overlooked as a necessity for good health. Full, free breathing is one of
the most powerful keys to enhancing physical, emotional, and spiritual
wellbeing.

Breathing
fully and freely is our birthright. If you watch a baby breathe, you will see
the beauty and simplicity of flow in the body. With each inhale, the baby's
belly fills with air like a balloon, the pelvis rocks, the legs open, the chest
rises and then falls, like swells across the ocean. This is natural, oceanic
full-body breathing. It is the way we were meant to breathe.

Breathing
effortlessly, a baby lives fully and freely in the now, in the expansiveness of
the moment. There is no past to remember, no future to plan for or worry about.
Each breath is a process of receiving from the universe and giving back to it.
With each inhale, she receives and takes life in. With each exhale, she lets go
and gives back. She is in touch with and part of the essential rhythm of life.

"Full,
free breathing is one of the most powerful keys to enhancing physical,
emotional, and spiritual wellbeing."

The baby
doesn't know or do this consciously, but simply experiences an inherent peace,
joy, and connectedness with all things. Of course, a baby will also experience
needs and be heavily influenced by the environment that she is in. She will
have emotional outbursts or cries for attention, but what is important to
notice is how easily a baby will settle back into a relaxed state of calm and
peace. Much like animals, children have a great capacity for resilience. In one
moment they may be screaming and then after a brief reassuring glance or
embrace, settle back into a deep peace and calm.

Over time,
the child absorbs and accumulates the tensions and stresses of their family and
learns behaviors from their environment. As we each experience the joys,
challenges, and traumas of life, we begin to anticipate and react from our past
experiences of pleasure and pain. Unfortunately, we lose the freedom and
expansiveness that were natural at birth. We become afraid of disapproval,
punishment, or abandonment. We experience unpleasant feelings that we don't
know how to handle.

As a result, we begin to contract more often or even shut down. We learn to
"control" ourselves, to "be good," to receive positive
attention. We sacrifice our desires for the approval of others. To control
ourselves in this way, we unconsciously tighten our muscles and restrict our
breathing. We discover that the less we breathe, the less we feel--and the
easier it is to get through the challenges and difficulties of modern life.
Over time, this process develops habitual unconscious reactions that lock up
the body and prevent the full expression of both pleasure and pain. The
essential flow of life force energy becomes
kinked like a hose and every functioning system in the body will eventually
degrade faster.

As adults,
many people tend to breathe small and shallow, mostly in the chest, with little
visible movement. To make matters worse, most people contract and literally
stop breathing for short periods during stressful or mentally focused
situations. These periods of contraction and breath holding create a low-grade
suffocation in the body. Suffocation leads to suffering. The lack of oxygen and
increased tension hinders the flow of blood, nutrients, and vital energy.

"When
we constrict or stop our breath, we lose touch with what is happening in the
present moment."

When we
constrict or stop our breath, we lose touch with what is happening in the present
moment--with how magical, pleasurable, and wonderful it is just to be alive.
Instead, we focus too much in the head and get stuck in the past and the
future. Our minds race with thoughts--worrying, figuring out, and planning. We
lose the freedom, joy, and expansiveness that are natural when we are relaxed
in our breath and connected to our body awareness.

Miraculously,
by directing your consciousness back to your breathing and learning to work
with it, you can regain what has been lost. You can learn to let go of patterns
of worry and tension, which hold you back, and return to natural, oceanic,
full-body breathing. Like a baby, you can experience the full feeling,
possibility, and connection of each moment.

The Art of Conscious Breathing

As you
become aware of your breath and work with it consciously, you make a direct
link to your autonomic nervous system, gaining access to a part of yourself
that usually functions outside of conscious awareness.

It is no
accident that many meditation techniques are based on breathing. As our
breathing gets fuller and deeper, we can feel ourselves softening, opening,
getting more spacious inside.

The breath
takes us into our very core. There is a reason that in many languages and many
sacred texts, the word for breath also means soul or spirit: psyche in Greek, anima in Latin, ruach in Hebrew and the
"ha" in aloha means the sacred breath of life within us all, or the
spirit of the Creator that breathes life into all living beings and joins us
all as one.

As you lengthen
and deepen the breath in and out, you can feel a connection between the inside
and the outside. Through our breathing, it is possible to feel connected with
all living beings. When I first experienced full-body breathing myself, I
discovered what true relaxation feels like and a genuine sense of oneness.
Before I became a breathing enthusiast, I had little awareness of how much
tension there was in my body. When I tried to take a full deep breath, it was
actually difficult to allow my belly and solar plexus to relax and expand. I
was surprised by this. With so many years of swimming, mountain biking,
surfing, and playing sports, I had not learned how to breathe properly. No
wonder I was easily irritable, anxious, and often nervous. At age 18, it felt like
my conscious life began. All my social and academic struggles radically
transformed with the introduction of breathing through my first yoga teachers.
Within a few months, I went from being a struggling frustrated student to a
focused and confident learner.

Breathing is
regenerative and restorative. It can cleanse us of toxins that have built up in
the body and the mind. It can help rid us of worries and tensions and bring us
back to our true nature of relaxed openness and connection. This most basic and
essential of all our activities can also be the most transformative. Many times
I have felt tired and unmotivated, with a lot to accomplish; yet, with only a
few minutes of breathing, I can feel refreshed and energized.

"Breathing
is regenerative and restorative. It can cleanse us of toxins that have built up
in the body and the mind."

Beyond the
baseline of natural breathing, there is also an art to cultivating your breath
in more powerful ways. The teachings of yoga, martial arts and many other
cultural and spiritual systems have deep roots in breath cultivation. According
to many of these ancient teachings, breathing generates electromagnetic energy,
or life force energy--commonly called Prana, Qi or Mana--which can heal your
body and deepen your spiritual practices.

This is where the alchemy comes in, where conscious breathing becomes life
changing. For a person who experiences a great deal of stress and tension,
focusing on breathing and relaxing is the most effective way to recalibrate
their nervous system. The autonomic nervous system can get stuck in a chronic
sympathetic response that is wound up and hyper-fearful. In this case, the digestive system gets less blood supply and the
body is on alert, commonly known as fight-or-flight response mode. Many people
in fast-paced society are operating from a constant stress response in their
autonomic nervous system. Breathing is a way of dismantling the habitual stress
responses by establishing a deeper trust and embodied presence in each moment.

Chronic stress
responses cause an overactive mind, poor health, and a disconnection from the
natural cycles and interconnectedness with all of life. When you free up your
breathing, you become brighter, more healthy and resilient. Every experience in
life can become more harmonious and meaningful when you are in tune with the
power and nourishment of consciously breathing.

From the
perspective of the world's great spiritual traditions, our breath not only
brings needed oxygen and other gases to the physical body, but it is a major
way that we release accumulated stress, emotional tension, and toxins. When we
are conscious and intentional with our breathing, the finer energies (Prana,
Qi, or Mana) needed to help nourish our bodies will invigorate and activate the
energy flow within our subtle and energetic bodies. With enough accumulation of
energy and meditative absorption, new frontiers of awareness light up and the
finer spiritual dimensions of interconnection emerge. Whatever we may believe
about our soul and spirit, our breath, and how we breathe, is intimately
connected with all aspects of our being.

Breathing Exercise: The Complete Breath

The
first phase
in healthy breathing is to become conscious of how we actually breathe. Noticing whether we
are relaxed and allowing the breath to naturally deepen into the lower belly or
if the breath is shallow and primarily in the upper chest area. The diaphragm,
which is located near the solar plexus, is a vital gateway of the breath. In a
complete and healthy breath, the diaphragm easefully expands downward, along
with the lower lobes of the lungs as if being drawn by the earth into your
pelvis when you inhale. For this to easily happen, your body and emotional
state need to be relaxed and feel safe. If you have a lot of tension or
wound-up emotional stress, your diaphragm will be tight, as if locked in place.

Start by
sitting with a straight spine. Allow each breath to gently deepen into your
belly and roll up from the inside of your spine, creating a bit of lift and
traction with each inhale as the air fills the upper lungs. On the exhale, let
your body deflate and round forward a little as the air empties out of you,
with a gentle squeezing of the abdomen at the end of the exhale. Repeat this
wave-like breathing for a few minutes. Notice how easeful and natural it is to
feel the breath roll through you from your pelvis up to your neck.

Expand
Your Breath Capacity

The
second phase
is to begin to exaggerate and expand your breath capacity. Here you want to
focus on using each inhale to stretch deeper into your pelvis and up fully into
your ribs. Exaggerating your breathing releases structural tension and
emotional blockages in the body. It also makes more space in your physical
body, which allows your natural unconscious breathing to be more full and
relaxed. Much like yoga postures, the breath can be used to stretch the body
from the inside out. Many yogis say that Pranayama (yogic breathing practices)
are the origin of the yoga postures and the very core of a true yoga practice.

Put one hand
on your lower belly and one hand on your upper chest. Fill the lower hand with
a large expanding breath and then continue expanding up into your upper hand,
flaring the ribs out and stretching open in your entire chest area. Always
focus on feeling the breath move not only in the front but also in the back of
your body. Exaggerated breathing is a way of stretching yourself open from the
inside out. This type of breathing can also be called structural breathing, as
it restructures your posture by making more space throughout your torso, with
the complete use of your lung capacity. This practice will also massage your
organs and release any congestion throughout your intestines and liver.

Breathe to Purify and Cleanse

The
third phase
is to purify and cleanse the body with the exhale. When stretching and opening the body
with large deep breaths, you allow for areas of congestion to be discharged
through the blood and lungs. The lungs are a major organ of elimination, and
the most significant way that we alkalize our bodies is through our breathing.
In this phase, you focus on opening your mouth and emptying out your lungs on
the exhale, encouraging the release of stagnant air, particulate, and carbon
dioxide. Open your jaw wide and allow for a large volume of air to move through
your trachea. You can also try adding a "HA" sound as a way to
vibrate and increase the opening of your heart and clearing of stagnant energy.

"The
cleansing breath is a powerful practice to release stress and emotional build
up."

The
cleansing breath is a powerful practice to release stress and emotional build
up. Whenever we have an emotional release, it comes out in some way through the
mouth. Whether it be crying, laughing or anger, the mouth and breath play a
major role in the experience. Focusing on clearing your lungs with a large
yawn-like exhale will refresh and clear your body physically, emotionally, and
spiritually.

The next
phase is to turn your attention inward with each breath and feel deeply into
your body. The life force energy is directed by where your attention goes.
Turning your attention inward and lighting up your internal feeling perception
is a powerful way to heal your body and awaken spiritual awareness. As you feel
and perceive your heart beating and the circulation throughout your body, you
begin to accumulate the life force energy. Here is where the foundation of
meditation is built. Your breath awakens inner perception, which builds
concentration and energy, which leads to the remembrance and experience of
profound spiritual connection.

With
consistency of these simple breathing practices, there will be a gradual
increase in your energy, clarity, and peace of mind. As the body receives more
oxygen and life force energy, it will self-regulate and regenerate. Then you
will begin to store up this vital energy; you might notice an increased sex
drive and even feel more emotional. Keep building this energy and welcome more
flow into your life. Let your breathing open you up all the way and move you
through any of the challenges you face.

Whenever you
have a few moments to pause or wait for someone, use it as an opportunity to
focus on your breath. If you experience doubt, reaction or fear, you always
have your breath to guide you into and through what you feel. No matter how old
you are or feel, how you breathe will lead the way you live.

When the
mind begins to look inward, away from ego, it becomes self-conscious and this
leads to liberation.
When the mind enters this state of serenity it embraces feelings of love, vigour, patience, concentration and memory.
Do-it-anytime breathing exercises remove allow the mind to enter
this state while releasing tension, anger, annoyance, fear and exhaustion. Since
breathing is something we can control and regulate, it is a useful tool for
achieving a relaxed and clear state of mind.

Research
performed by a scientist at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's
Hospital and Medical Center has shown that controlled breathing at a slowed
rate can significantly reduce feelings of pain.

The Stimulating Breath, The 4-7-8 Breathing Exercise (also called the Relaxing
Breath), and Breath Counting. Try each and see how they affect your stress and
anxiety levels.

Exercise 1: The
Stimulating Breath (also called the Bellows Breath)
The Stimulating Breath is adapted from a yogic breathing technique. Its aim is
to raise vital energy and increase alertness.

Inhale and exhale rapidly through
your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out
should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy
breathing exercise.

Try for three in-and-out breath
cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm,
suggesting a bellows. Breathe normally after each cycle.

Do not do for more than 15
seconds on your first try. Each time you practice the Stimulating Breath,
you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full
minute.

If done properly, you may feel invigorated, comparable to the heightened
awareness you feel after a good workout. You should feel the effort at the back
of the neck, the diaphragm, the chest and the abdomen. Try this breathing
exercise the next time you need an energy boost and feel yourself reaching for
a cup of coffee.

Exercise
2: The 4-7-8 (or Relaxing Breath) Exercise
This exercise is utterly simple, takes almost no time, requires no equipment
and can be done anywhere. Although you can do the exercise in any position, sit
with your back straight while learning the exercise. Place the tip of your
tongue against the ridge of tissue just behind your upper front teeth, and keep
it there through the entire exercise. You will be exhaling through your mouth
around your tongue; try pursing your lips slightly if this seems awkward.

Exhale completely through your
mouth, making a whoosh sound.

Close your mouth and inhale
quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.

Hold your breath for a count of
seven.

Exhale completely through your
mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.

This is one breath. Now inhale
again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

Note that you always inhale quietly through your nose and exhale audibly
through your mouth. The tip of your tongue stays in position the whole time.
Exhalation takes twice as long as inhalation. The absolute time you spend on
each phase is not important; the ratio of 4:7:8 is important. If you have
trouble holding your breath, speed the exercise up but keep to the ratio of
4:7:8 for the three phases. With practice you can slow it all down and get used
to inhaling and exhaling more and more deeply.

This
exercise is a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system. Unlike tranquilizing
drugs, which are often effective when you first take them but then lose their
power over time, this exercise is subtle when you first try it but gains in
power with repetition and practice. Do it at least twice a day. You cannot do
it too frequently. Do not do more than four breaths at one time for the first
month of practice. Later, if you wish, you can extend it to eight breaths. If
you feel a little lightheaded when you first breathe this way, do not be
concerned; it will pass.

Once you
develop this technique by practicing it every day, it will be a very useful
tool that you will always have with you. Use it whenever anything upsetting
happens - before you react. Use it whenever you are aware of internal tension.
Use it to help you fall asleep. This exercise cannot be recommended too highly.
Everyone can benefit from it.

Exercise
3: Breath CountingIf
you want to get a feel for this challenging work, try your hand at breath counting,
a deceptively simple technique much used in Zen practice.

Sit in a
comfortable position with the spine straight and head inclined slightly
forward. Gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Then let the
breath come naturally without trying to influence it. Ideally it will be quiet
and slow, but depth and rhythm may vary.

To begin the exercise, count
"one" to yourself as you exhale.

The next time you exhale, count
"two," and so on up to "five."

Then begin a new cycle, counting
"one" on the next exhalation.

Never count higher than "five," and count only when you exhale. You
will know your attention has wandered when you find yourself up to
"eight," "12," even "19."

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